Six Asteroids—Three The Size Of A Plane—Passing Close To Earth

Fortunately, none of the asteroids are expected to pose a threat to our planet.

Six asteroids are expected to fly in close proximity to Earth between Friday, September 8 and Sunday, September 10.

According to NASA's Asteroid Watch dashboard, two asteroids the size of a plane (2023 RH and 2023 QC5) and two asteroids the size of a bus (2023 RG and 2020 GE) will come within 1 million miles of us on Friday. The fifth, an asteroid named 2023 RL, will pass by Earth on Saturday.

2023 RL, which is estimated to be the size of a bus, will reportedly come closest to us, passing just 469,000 miles from Earth. The sixth and largest asteroid (2023 QF6) measures 68 feet. USA Today reports that plane-sized 2023 QF6 will come within 1.6 million miles of Earth on Sunday.

It’s been a busy time for asteroids in the neighborhood. A house-sized one, called JA5, passed by Earth on Wednesday, September 6.

Fortunately, none of the asteroids are expected to pose a threat to our planet. As CBS News explains, asteroids are considered "potentially hazardous" only when they come within 4.6 million miles of Earth and are more than 490 feet in size. The largest of the five incoming asteroids (2023 RH) is estimated to be only 89 feet in size.

NASA defines an asteroid as “a relatively small, inactive body orbiting the Sun.” Unlike comments, which contain ice, asteroids are typically composed of rocky, dusty, and metallic materials.

“Most orbit within the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but some follow paths that circulate into the inner solar system (including near-Earth asteroids), while others remain outside the orbit of Neptune,” NASA’s website notes.

To date, NASA has discovered 32,412 asteroids, with more than 10,500 of those estimated to be larger than 460 feet. 

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